asked the Minister of Health whether he can give the date of expiry of the option given by the London County Council to the Westminster City Council, or to any other parties, to purchase the Pulford Street site for housing purposes; and whether his Department approves the engineer's report on the suitability of the site?

I understand from the London County Council that no date has yet been fixed. I am not in a position to express an opinion on any reports which may have been made in respect to the site; no proposal which would require my approval to utilise the site for housing purposes has been submitted to me.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the Housing Act (1925) Amendment Bill, which was read a First time on Wednesday last, its object being to remedy the hardships resulting from the operation of Section 46 of the Act; and whether, in view of the urgency of the matter, he will recommend that the Bill be given facilities in its further progress?

I have considered the Bill to which my hon. Friend refers, but I am afraid that it will not be practicable to afford special facilities for its further progress. As I have already stated, it is the intention of the Government to deal as soon as practicable with the question of slums in a comprehensive manner including the amendment of Section 46.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether a profit or loss was made last year in the Stationery Office printing works?

During the financial year ended 31st March last a profit was made in the Stationery Office printing works. Details are given on page 98 of House of Commons Paper No. 32 of 1929, of which there is a copy in the Library.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish details of the 53 small-pox deaths registered in 1928, giving the age, vaccinal condition, and any other cause of death, if any, mentioned on the certificate; which of these 53 deaths will be omitted when the total of small-pox deaths is made up for 1928; and what system is followed in the allocation of deaths to small-pox or some other cause?

Particulars relating to the 53 smallpox deaths registered in 1928 will, so far as they are available, be published in the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report for that year. These 53 deaths are the deaths which have been finally classified to smallpox for the purposes of the Registrar-General's Mortality Statistics. The system of classification adopted by the Registrar-General is in accordance with the International List of Causes of Death and the rules for the assignment of causes which are based on international usage.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any statistics as to the number of complaints he has received of the contents of registered packages, posted in Spain, being abstracted; and whether there is any redress in such cases?

So far as can be traced, there have been about 30 complaints in the last 12 months of the abstraction of the contents of registered packets posted in Spain. Under the international regulations, no compensation is payable for the abstraction of the contents of registered packets, but only for the loss of an entire packet.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any information respecting the disappearance of a mail bag on 10th February in the course of conveyance from Hull to the eastern central district of the Post Office; whether it is believed that the bag has been stolen; whether the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard has been notified; and, if so, on what date?

The bag is believed to have been stolen. Inquiries are proceeding, but the source of the theft has not yet been ascertained. The Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard was notified on 11th February.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will look into the matter of complaints made in connection with the telephone service; and if he will take steps to ensure that the most prompt and effective methods are used to remedy the causes of such complaints?

I have no reason to suppose that the present methods of dealing with such complaints are not generally adequate; but if the hon. Member has any special case in mind, and will furnish me with particulars, I shall be glad to investigate it.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the average number of days of sick leave per head taken in each of the last three years by women clerical officers, writing assistants and members of the established typing grades, respectively; and what was the number of days of sick leave taken in the case of each of the grades concerned on account of gastric and nervous trouble, respectively, in the Customs and Excise Department, the Paymaster-General's Office, and the Office of the Public Trustee, and the Stationery Office, respectively?

I regret that the detailed information asked for is not available, and could not be obtained without an undue expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state, for each Department of the Civil Service separately, what was the average number of days of sick leave per head taken during each year of the last three years by women clerical officers, writing assistants, and members of the established typing grades, respectively; and what was the average number of days of sick leave per head taken on account of gastric and nervous trouble, respectively, in the case of each of the above grades during the same period in each of the main sub-departments in the London area?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to-day to a similar question by the hon. Member for East Woolwich (Mr. Snell).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the number of deaths which have occurred in the Bombay riots; and whether any English casualties have been reported?

The number of deaths reported as having occurred up to 15th February was 143. These were all Indians, except Deputy-Inspector Priestley of the Bombay Police, who was killed on 5th February.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total amount of duties collected on all imported articles affected by the application of the Safeguarding of Industries. Act from April, 1928, to 31st December, 1928?

The approximate net amounts of duty collected on imported articles subject to Safeguarding Duties during the period 1st April to 31st December, 1928, were as follow:—

	£
Key Industry goods	465,000
Lace and Embroidery	164,000
Cutlery	85,000
Gloves	413,000
Mantles for incandescent lighting	2,000
Paper, packing or wrapping	427,000
Pottery, translucent or vitrified	44,000
Buttons (from 28th April)	85,000
Hollow-ware, wrought enameled, (from 13th June)	31,000
	1,716,000

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value in sterling of each of the following articles, namely, butter, cheese, condensed milk, eggs, and margarine imported into this country from Holland and also Denmark for the years 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928?

The following table shows the declared values of the total imports of the undermentioned articles into the United Kingdom registered as consigned from Denmark and Netherlands, respectively, during each of the years 1924 to 1928.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in selecting candidates for the meritorious service medal, it is the general rule to select the oldest and senior on the recommended list?

When the claims of candidates for this medal are otherwise evenly balanced, it is the general practice to give preference to age.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the statement contained in the recent report of the Kent education committee on the work of vocational guidance and juvenile welfare in the county for the year ended 31st July, 1928, that it is impossible for many boys and girls, who are capable of working, to find employment of any kind immediately they leave school; and whether he will consider if it is possible for his Department to formulate some scheme whereby opportunities may be provided for young people, through apprenticeship or otherwise, to become skilled workers?

I have been asked to reply. I have received the annual report on the work of vocational guidance and juvenile welfare within the County of Kent for the year which ended 31st July last, and have noted the statement to which my hon. Friend refers. I am aware that there is considerable unemployment among boys and girls in certain parts of Kent, and I am consulting with the authority as to the best steps to be taken to deal with this position.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the cost for each year of the services of referees acting under the Unemployment Insurance Acts since the scheme came into operation, covering the Liverpool area;(2) the total charges covering the remuneration and expenses of referees dealing with unemployment insurance claims in the city of Liverpool during the last three months of 1928 and for the similar period of 1927?

The cost of the remuneration and expenses of chairment of Courts of Referees in the Liverpool area since 1920 are as follow:

Financial Year.	Amount.
	£	s.	d.
1920–21	359	10	2
1921–22	429	10	1
1922–23	374	13	5
1923–24	467	13	6
1924–25	424	19	3
1925–26	718	5	5
1926–27	672	10	0
1927–28	401	9	8
1st April, 1928. to 31st January, 1929	1,717	15	1

The remuneration and expenses of Chairmen for the last three months of 1927 and 1928 amounted to £112 16s. and £1,151 9s. 4d., respectively. For the last three months of 1928, payment was made to members of these Courts in respect of compensation for loss of earnings and expenses amounting to £32 17s. 3d. Similar particulars for earlier periods are not readily available and could not be obtained without undue labour and difficulty. For Courts of Referees purposes the Liverpool area includes Liverpool, Bootle and Birkenhead.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether his attention has been called to the proposed sale of land at Rollright, Oxfordshire, on which land there stands an ancient megalith; and, if so, whether he will schedule the megalith as an ancient monument?

The Rollright Stones are in the custody of the Commissioners of Works, whose position as guardians is not affected by changes of ownership. The monument is also scheduled.

asked the Home Secretary the number of convictions during the past 12 months for illegal posses- sion of cocaine and similar drugs; and whether this traffic has now decreased?

The statistics in question are not yet available. While it is not possible to speak positively in a matter of this kind, the experience gained in the administration of the Dangerous Drugs Acts indicates that the illicit traffic in these drugs has very much diminished in this country since the institution of control.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received the Report of the Commission inquiring into the circumstances of the series of explosions and fires which occurred on 20th and 21st Decembers and, if so, what action it is proposed to take to prevent the recurrence of explosions of this kind?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative, and the second part does not therefore at present arise.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the recent conviction by the Kingston County Magistrates of Arthur George Richardson, for causing unnecessary suffering to a dog by starving it; and whether, having regard to the circumstances that a fine of £3 only was imposed, he will consider the advisability of increasing the minimum penalty for such cases?

I have seen Press reports of the case. I could not propose legislation fixing a minimum penalty and depriving Courts of their present discretion.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he can now make any further statement as to the exact distribution of the Mansion House Fund; and whether he can expedite the grants of money in view of the severe winter?

The amount paid out of the Lord Mayor's Fund up to 15th February was £431,957, distributed as follows:

	£
Durham and Northumberland	153,100
South Wales	199,100
West Hiding	22,500
Lancashire and Cheshire	12,500
Midland area (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire)	7,000
Gloucestershire and Somerset (including Forest of. Dean)	6,000
West Midland area	4,000
Cumberland	3,000
North Wales	3,000
Cleveland District	1,500
Various approved agencies	20,257

The demands of the Divisional Committees upon the Central Fund are being, and will be, met without delay.

asked the Secretary for Mines if he has any information regarding the present stage of the consultations between the delegation appointed by the economic committee of the League of Nations and experts from 11 countries particularly interested in the coal trade and industry?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 13th February by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to a similar question by the hon. Member for Stourbridge (Mr. Wellock).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the 75 per cent. grant towards compensation for the destruction of tubercular cows are affected by the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Bill?

I have been asked to reply. The answer is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether it is proposed to establish an egg-grading station in the Midlands; and, if so, where?

There are already a number of egg-packing stations in the Midlands that are working the egg marketing scheme, including stations at Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire), Market Drayton (Shropshire), Coventry and Henley-in-Arden (Warwickshire), Per-shore, Staunton Cross and Tenbury Wells (Worcestershire). If my hon. Friend has in mind the possibility of a demonstration station, I may say that I see no necessity for any additional centres for the continuous demonstration of packing station routine and management, as a whole. I have, however, arranged to lend grading plant and ancillary equipment to the stations at Melton Mowbray and Pershore in order that a new principle of mechanical grading by weight may be demonstrated under commercial conditions for the information of all concerned.